


Look What You Made Me Do

by hallonacht_fernweh



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Child Death, Dark Russia (Hetalia), Everyone Needs A Hug, Hurt No Comfort, Past Abuse, Tragedy, basically everyone dies, dark Amelia, really not a happy fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-06-03
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:33:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24517732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hallonacht_fernweh/pseuds/hallonacht_fernweh
Summary: Life is going well for Amelia and her fiancé, Toris, until it's not. After a visit from her obsessive ex, Amelia realizes just how far she's willing to go in the name of revenge.Inspired by the Taylor Swift song of the same name.
Kudos: 3





	Look What You Made Me Do

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the bad summary. Basically this is a fic where nobody wins. Ivan hurts Amelia, so Amelia hurts Ivan back. This was originally written as a multi-chapter story going backward, but I've decided to post it here in one big story in chronological order. I put line breaks to separate the 'chapters', so you're welcome to start at the bottom and read it backward like it was written. Hopefully that makes sense. Oh and there are a couple time skips. The whole story takes place over the span of about 10 years.
> 
> Enjoy, and I'd love to hear any feedback you may have.

“Matthew!” Amelia shouted and waved when she saw her brother enter the little café. Matthew smiled and walked over, giving his sister a quick hug before they both sat.

“How are you doing?” Matthew asked, gesturing to Amelia’s growing belly.

Amelia gently placed her hand on top of her stomach and answered, “Really great, actually. I mean, I’ve switched out morning sickness for swollen ankles, but I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time.” Matthew nodded understandingly. Although Amelia had claimed nothing had happened between her and her previous boyfriend, Matthew disliked him from the start, and he could tell Toris was nothing like him. The two ordered and continued filling each other in about their respective lives until Amelia’s phone vibrated.

Looking down, Amelia lit up and said, “Oh, it’s Toris! I wonder what he wants.” Matthew sipped at his water, surprised when he heard Amelia curse. He shot his eyes over to her and noticed she was typing away furiously, completely absorbed in what she was doing.

“Is everything alright?” Matthew asked curiously.

“I’m sorry, Matthew, but I have to go,” Amelia replied. She quickly gathered her things and left the building, muttering “I’m gonna kill him” on the way out. Matthew sighed. It looked like he’d be having lunch alone today.

/

Amelia jerked the keys out of the car and rushed inside. She had a few choice words for Toris, and she had thought long and hard about them on her drive home.

“Toris!” Amelia yelled once she opened the door. There was no answer, which only made her angrier. “Toris, we are going to talk right this instant!” She threw her keys haphazardly on the table in the entryway and stormed into the kitchen. What she saw made her stop in her tracks. Toris lay on the ground in a pool of blood, eyes staring lifelessly at the ceiling. From what it looked like, he’d been beaten before having his throat cut.

“T-Toris?” Amelia stuttered unbelievably. This couldn’t be happening. Toris was the nicest person she’d ever met; there was no reason for anyone to attack him. “Please tell me you’re faking this, that it’s just really good makeup.” Of course, Amelia knew in the back of her mind that Toris was indeed dead, had died in pain from the looks of it. Suddenly it hit her: Toris had been murdered. Which meant she could be next. Immediately she turned to call the police but froze when she saw a man leaning casually against the wall, one gloved hand loosely holding a knife and the other holding Toris’ phone.

“Hello, Amelia,” the man greeted her, acting as if Toris wasn’t dead on the ground behind her.

Amelia narrowed her eyes and growled, “Ivan.”

Ivan grinned and said, “It’s nice to see you again. Shame it has to be under these circumstances.”

“I told you to stay away from me. I thought I made that clear when I threw that lamp at you,” Amelia replied, looking up at the scar she had given him years ago.

“I couldn’t stay away,” Ivan shrugged. “I missed you. I still love you, Sunflower.”

“Do NOT call me that,” Amelia ordered. “What you feel is not love. Love does not manifest itself in the way you treated me.”

Ivan stood up straight and answered, “My love is… special. No one can love you the way I do, especially not that spineless brat. You should’ve heard the way he pleaded and begged before I sliced open his throat. He’s not worthy of you.”

Amelia glanced over at Toris and found herself beginning to cry as she said, “Toris was ten times the man you’ll ever be. We were going to be married soon. We were going to start a family.”

“I know,” Ivan said, looking angry at that thought. “That’s why I had to end things before it went too far. I’ve been watching over you all this time, waiting for the right moment. Come back to me, Sunflower. Build a family with me, instead. I’ll even let you keep the child, if it’ll make you happy.”

Amelia’s face contorted, and she hissed, “You’re crazy. I will never go back to you.”

“Why?” Ivan asked innocently. “You obviously have nothing left here.”

“Why?!” Amelia repeated. “Are you seriously asking why? You emotionally and physically abused me, and any time I turned you down when you wanted sex, you raped me!”

“That’s silly. We were dating. You cannot be raped by your lover,” Ivan argued. “Besides, I made sure you felt pleasure, too. I never once hurt you during sex, and you know it.” Society had drilled that same reasoning into Amelia’s head, but therapy had eventually helped her see things for what they really were.

“I said no!” Amelia responded. “That makes it rape, whether we were dating or not!”

Ivan waved off the claims, saying, “Agree to disagree. If you come back to me, I’ll be good to you. Forget about the foolish boy you were going to throw your life away for.”

“I would rather die than be in a relationship with you again. It took me years to recover and heal from the pain you put me through,” Amelia said. The worst part about Ivan was actually not the violent, drunken rages. It was how incredibly sweet and thoughtful he could be. That was the Ivan she had fallen for, and it was the reason she had stayed with him for so long.

Ivan looked disappointed but nodded resolutely, taking a step forward as he said, “Very well, if I can’t have you, no one can.” Amelia took a step back fearfully. Years of experience had taught her that Ivan was most dangerous when he was completely serious.

“You won’t get away with this,” Amelia said, trying to distract Ivan as she continued to back up slowly.

“Ah, but I have an alibi,” Ivan countered, never faltering in his steps forward. “Money does wonders when it comes to murder.” Finally, Amelia was backed up into the corner, Toris beneath her. He must’ve done the same thing to try and avoid Ivan.

“But don’t worry,” Ivan continued. “I don’t plan on killing you. Only ruining your life.” Without warning, he stabbed the knife straight into Amelia’s stomach before pulling it out and allowing her to fall to the ground. She gasped and pressed her hands over the wound, trying to staunch the blood as she desperately hoped her baby was alright. Ivan wrapped Toris’ limp hands around the knife before doing the same with Amelia. When he was finished, he placed the knife on the ground next to them.

Amelia was already beginning to feel faint as Ivan stood back up and smiled at her once more, saying, “It’s clear what happened here, don’t you think? Toris wanted to break up, which made you angry. In retaliation you attacked him, but he managed to get his hands on a knife and stab you in self-defense. You ultimately got the upper hand though and sliced his throat before passing out from blood loss. I never would have believed you had it in you.”

“Y-you bastard,” Amelia grunted before collapsing on top of Toris, too weak to move. She felt her consciousness leaving her as Ivan chuckled and turned to leave.

The last thing she heard was Ivan cheerfully saying, “Have fun in prison!”

And then her world turned black.

* * *

“All rise. Department One of the Superior Court is now in session. Judge Ludwig presiding. Please be seated.”

Amelia fiddled with her thumbs as her court case began. She could still barely believe she was even here to begin with. Her attorney, Eduard, had been furious with her for refusing to take the plea deal, but she couldn’t help it. She didn’t do anything wrong, dammit, and she wouldn’t lie just so she’d only receive 25 years in prison instead of whatever they would try to give her today. She had faith in her country and the system and believed she’d walk out today a free woman. It was about time too, considering she’d spent the last month handcuffed to a hospital bed. She was glad the doctors perfumed a C-section, though. She didn’t think she could’ve handled delivering a stillborn baby. When she finally heard the prosecuting attorney begin speaking, she looked up.

“Your Honor,” the attorney nodded at the judge, “ladies and gentlemen of the jury: the defendant has been charged with first-degree murder of her then fiancé, Toris Laurinaitis, along with involuntary manslaughter of her unborn child, seeing as she was already six months pregnant at the time of the incident. Not only did the defendant tell the victim she would kill him, her fingerprints were also all over the crime scene and weapon. The evidence I present today will prove to you that the defendant is guilty as charged of these heinous crimes.”

Amelia had to refrain from tackling the man who dared accuse her of killing not only the love of her life, but also her own child. Eduard set a hand on her shoulder and squeezed reassuringly as he stood to counter the statement.

Eduard cleared his throat and began, “Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury: my client is presumed innocent until proven guilty, as you all well know. The evidence in this trial is nothing but lies and reading too far into a few text messages. My client is not guilty of the murder of Toris Laurinaitis, nor of the manslaughter of her unborn child. Today you will learn the truth, and my client will finally have her name cleared.” Eduard sat back down, and the prosecution was permitted to call its first witness, who happened to be her brother, Matthew.

Once Matthew was sworn in, the prosecuting attorney asked, “Matthew, what is your relation to the defendant?”

“S-She’s my sister,” Matthew replied nervously. He had never liked being the center of attention.

“And did you see her the day of the murder?” the attorney continued.

“Yes,” Matthew answered.

“What time were you with her?”

“One o’clock. We were having lunch.”

“So, you were with the defendant when she received text messages from her fiancé, correct?”

“Yes.”

“How did the defendant react to these messages?”

“She was visibly upset and angry and left immediately.”

“Did she explain what the messages said before leaving?”

“Only that they were from Toris, and that she had to leave.”

“And did she say anything else before leaving?”

“Um,” Matthew stuttered before mumbling his response.

“I need you to speak louder. Did she or did she not say anything else before leaving?”

“Yes,” Matthew said reluctantly, shooting an apologetic look toward Amelia. “She did.”

“What did she say?”

“She kept muttering what sounded like, ‘I’m gonna kill him.’”

“Sounded like?”

“It was loud where we were seated, but that’s what I heard, yes.”

The prosecuting attorney looked up at the judge and said, “No further questions, Your Honor.”

Judge Ludwig nodded and asked, “Does the defense have any questions for the witness?”

“Yes, Your Honor,” Eduard said as he stood up and buttoned his suit jacket.

Eduard approached the witness stand with his hands behind his back and asked, “Matthew, would you say Amelia exaggerates frequently?”

“Oh, all the time, yes,” Matthew replied, looking a bit more at ease with these types of questions.

“And does she ever carry through with what she says during these exaggerations?”

“Never.”

“Have you heard her utter anything along the lines of ‘I’m gonna kill him’, as she did on the day of the incident?”

“Yes. She’s said it to me dozens of times.”

“And yet here you are, unmurdered.”

“She jokes a lot, but that’s all it ever is. A joke.”

“Thank you, Matthew. No further questions.” Eduard sat back with a satisfied look on his face as he saw the jury whispering. Once Matthew had gratefully left the stand, the prosecution called their next witness, but Amelia didn’t care to listen to anyone they called other than Matthew. Eventually it was Eduard’s turn to call witnesses, and he began by calling some of her close friends before it was finally her turn to approach the stand. She had been told multiple times that she didn’t have to testify at her own trial, but she believed she could convince the jury if she only had the chance.

She swore in, and Eduard asked his first question, “Amelia, could you explain to us the text messages you received during lunch with Matthew?”

Amelia nodded and said, “They were from Toris. He said he wanted to break up and that he didn’t love me anymore. And then he ignored me.”

“And how did you react to these messages?”

“I was pissed!” Amelia exclaimed, ignoring the look the outburst had earned from Eduard. “Toris and I were going to be married in five months, and we had a baby boy due in three. I knew something must be wrong, so I drove home immediately.”

“What did you find when you arrived at your house?”

“I saw Toris, d-dead, in the kitchen.”

“He was already dead when you walked in the room?”

“Yes. There was no doubt.”

“So, what did you do when you saw him?”

“I turned to call the police, but _he_ was there, waiting.”

“And who is he?”

“Ivan Braginsky. My ex.”

At this, the other attorney stood and exclaimed, “Objection! Mr. Braginsky has already had his name cleared.”

“Overruled,” the judge decided, looking a bit curious as to how the whole trial would play out. “There is no rule against claiming another person committed the crime, as long as it’s the truth. Defense, continue, but be warned that if found guilty, this will add a perjury count to the sentencing.”

Eduard continued asked questions until Amelia had explained everything, and then finally, it was the prosecuting attorney’s turn.

“Amelia,” the attorney began as he held up her cell phone, “this is your phone, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Would you please read aloud these text messages that you sent to Toris Laurinaitis after receiving a message from him that said, ‘Amelia, I’m sorry, but I want to break up. I just don’t love you anymore.”

Amelia sighed and took the phone, reading, “

‘What are you talking about Toris? Don’t joke about that type of thing.

Toris?

Honey?

Toris answer me!

You can’t be serious!!??

You’re the one who got me pregnant! If you try to walk away from that I’ll kill you!

Answer me this instant!

I’m coming home right now, and you better just be playing a prank or you’re dead.’”

“Thank you. No further questions.” Amelia walked back to her seat, trying to ignore the jury staring at her.

Judge Ludwig then asked, “Defense, do you have any other witnesses?”

“No, Your Honor,” Eduard said as he sat down.

The prosecuting attorney took this opportunity to stand and ask, “Your Honor, may I call one last witness to the stand?”

“You said you had no further witnesses,” Judge Ludwig said.

“I apologize. May I call him up?” the attorney pressed.

“Hmph, I suppose,” Judge Ludwig answered.

“Thank you, Your Honor. The prosecution calls Ivan Braginsky to the stand.” Surprised intakes of breath could be heard as everyone turned to look as a tall, pale man with silvery hair slowly approached the stand.

“What is he doing here?!” Amelia hissed at Eduard.

Eduard shuffled through his papers, looking confused as he stammered, “I-I don’t know. I wasn’t aware he’d be here. They must be using him as a shock tactic.”

“Please stand,” the bailiff told Ivan. “Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”

Ivan gave a small smile before nodding and saying, “I do.” After spelling his name for the clerk, Ivan was allowed to sit. He adjusted his scarf before clasping his hands together in his lap patiently.

The prosecuting attorney approached the stand, saying, “Ivan, what is your relation to the defendant?”

“She is my ex-girlfriend, but I have not thought about her in years,” Ivan explained.

“And why did you two break up?” the attorney asked.

This time, it was Eduard who stood and exclaimed, “Objection!”

Before he could justify his objection, Judge Ludwig barked, “Overruled, now sit down.”

Ivan answered the question as if there had been no interruption, “Amelia and I are quite different. She is loud, messy, entitled, and makes rash decisions. I told her I thought we could use a break, and she attacked me and gave me this scar.” Ivan pointed to a scar about an inch long above his left eye.

“Liar!” Amelia yelled, jumping up from her seat.

“Sit down immediately, Ms. Jones,” Judge Ludwig reprimanded sternly. Amelia reluctantly slunk back into her chair, and the questioning continued.

“So, you’re saying that after you attempted to leave her, she violently attacked you?”

“Yes.”

“And would you say that you feared for your life?”

“I did, yes.”

Amelia couldn’t stand it. She once again popped up and shouted, “You lying son of a bitch! Tell them the truth!”

“Ms. Jones!” Ludwig roared. “One more outburst and I’ll have you held in contempt! And you, Mr. Braginsky, may I remind you that you are sworn under oath to tell nothing but the truth?”

Ivan nodded and said, “I understand. Unfortunately, what I have said is the truth, however much I wish it was not.” Amelia seethed in her seat as she listened to Ivan’s sickly-sweet voice spinning lie after lie. The only truth he’d spoken so far was that she had in fact given him that scar, but he deserved it.

The prosecuting attorney cleared his throat and continued, “After leaving the defendant, did you see her at all until today?”

“No, I have not seen her, nor have I wanted to,” Ivan answered.

“Where were you when the murder took place?”

“I was celebrating my younger sister’s birthday in a small town a few hours away. We went out for a nice dinner.”

“And do you have proof of this?”

“Of course; I have pictures, a bill with a time stamp, and eye witnesses, all of whom have already been questioned to confirm that I was there.”

“So, you did not kill Toris or the defendant’s unborn child?”

Ivan openly laughed at this question, saying, “Of course not. I was not even aware she was engaged and with child.”

“If you have proof that you did not commit this crime, then why are you here today?”

Ivan gave Amelia a wicked look and answered, “I suppose it’s because Amelia is obsessive. Perhaps she thought I’d come back to her if she killed her fiancé and child, and when I didn’t, she decided to blame me for her crimes.”

Amelia saw red at that comment. Her chair fell as she roared and jumped over the table she was sitting at. She charged at Ivan and swung her fist right at his big, ugly nose, managing to hit her target before she was restrained. She was mildly aware of the gavel slamming down over and over, as the judge yelled for order. She was forced to the ground and roughly handcuffed. When she was yanked up, she saw Ivan holding his nose, blood dripping out from behind his fingers. They made eye contact, and she saw his eyes gleam triumphantly, which only made her struggle harder.

“Remove her from the room!” Judge Ludwig was yelling as he stood. “The case will finish without her!” Amelia was dragged down the aisle and tossed into an empty room that had the trial streaming on a small TV in the corner. Three officers followed her in and refused to remove her handcuffs. There was nothing she could do except watch the aftermath in the court room.

Eduard made a weak attempt at cross-examining Ivan, but it was clear the odds were against her. Once the final statements were made, the jury deliberated for only half an hour before returning. The jury handed their decision to the judge, who read it to himself quickly before standing.

“The jury finds the defendant guilty of both the first-degree murder of Toris Laurinaitis and the involuntary manslaughter of her unborn child,” Judge Ludwig read. “In addition to these counts, the defendant is also charged with perjury and contempt of court. The defendant is hereby sentenced to life in prison without parole. Court is adjourned.”

Amelia sat there staring at the screen, shocked. Right as she was beginning to be pulled away, she noticed Ivan glance up to the camera and smirk, just for her. That was when she knew.

She’d have her revenge.

* * *

_Today’s the day._ _Today’s the day I finally escape._ Amelia had been planning this for years, making preparations and getting to know the officers in this corrupt prison.

There was one in particular that was her ticket out of here, and there he was, right on time.

“Hi, Arthur,” Amelia greeted the officer when he stood outside her cell.

“Hello, love,” Arthur said. “Are you ready?”

Amelia grinned and answered, “I was born ready.” Arthur nodded and unlocked her cell. They walked purposefully down the hall, not wanting to draw attention to themselves. Normally, she wasn’t allowed out of her cell, but Arthur held a lot of power in the prison, and the other officers turned a blind eye whenever she was led to his office.

“Are you nervous?” Amelia asked once they reached the room.

Arthur took her hand and squeezed, saying, “A little, but it’s worth it to be with you.”

Amelia smiled and pushed away her guilt. Arthur wasn’t a terrible guy, really. Maybe not the greatest cop, but he didn’t deserve all the shit that would rain down on him in a few hours. Oh well, it wouldn’t do any good to dwell on it.

Alarms started ringing – that must be the electrical fire – and the power shut off. Without wasting a moment, the two rushed out the door and headed to Arthur’s car while the cameras were down. Amelia climbed into the trunk and Arthur hurried back to the building to make sure nothing was suspicious. Once the fire was put out and the power restored, Arthur informed the other officers that Amelia would be sleeping in his office again tonight. The men smiled knowingly and wished him a good night.

An hour later, Arthur started up his car and drove off, unlocking the gate with his ID and waving at the officer keeping watch. He drove for about half an hour before pulling over and going to the trunk.

“Alright, we’re safe,” Arthur told Amelia as he let her out. She jumped into his arms and laid kisses all over his face.

“We should probably keep driving, love,” Arthur said in between kisses. He shut up when he felt a hand undoing his belt. Wrapping his arms around her, Arthur carried Amelia and set her on the hood of his car. He worked on the buttons of his shirt as she moved to his zipper. Before he knew it, Amelia grabbed his gun and pointed it right in his face.

Confused, Arthur asked, “Amelia? What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry, Arthur, but there’s something I need to take care of,” Amelia told him as he straightened up and took a few steps back.

“Stop joking around and give me my gun back,” Arthur ordered, starting to get a bit angry.

Amelia smiled sadly and held out her hand, saying, “I’m afraid I’m very serious. Now, give me your car keys and handcuffs.”

“And if I don’t?” Arthur asked, keeping a close eye on the gun.

“Just do it, Arthur,” Amelia said, hoping he wouldn’t make this difficult.

“No,” Arthur said stubbornly. His face softened, and he said, “I don’t think you’re going to shoot me.”

Amelia sighed and said, “I didn’t want to have to hurt you, but you’re not leaving me much of a choice.” She cocked the gun and caught Arthur’s look of surprise just before she adjusted her aim and shot him in the foot. Arthur’s yell of pain filled the air as he jerked his foot up, lost his balance, and fell back on his butt.

Amelia lowered the gun and said, “I’m sorry, Arthur, but I had too. If it means anything, I read once that getting shot in the foot is one of the least lethal places possible. Now please, just give me your handcuffs.” Arthur didn’t appear to have heard her, instead focusing on removing his shoe. While he was preoccupied, Amelia approached and plucked two pairs of handcuffs out of his belt.

Once Arthur got his shoe off, Amelia spoke up again, “I’m going to cuff you now. Don’t resist, and it’ll all be over soon.” Arthur looked at her with betrayal and anger in his eyes, but he didn’t resist.

“Was it all a lie, then?” Arthur asked as Amelia gently tugged his arms behind his back.

Amelia paused for a minute before closing the handcuffs and saying, “I needed to get out of that place. I did what I had to do.”

Arthur was silent as Amelia fished around in his pocket for the keys. She walked around to the passenger side of the car and opened the glove box. Inside she found some bandages and grabbed them, along with Arthur’s cell phone sitting on the seat, which she shoved into her pocket.

“I’m going to bandage your foot,” Amelia informed Arthur as she knelt down in front of him.

“Why bother pretending you care?” Arthur said, gritting his teeth when Amelia lifted his foot up to inspect it.

Amelia ignored his question and instead said, “The bullet went through your foot, so that’s good.” She wrapped his foot and stood up, satisfied with her work.

“Alright, well, it’s time for me to leave,” Amelia said. “When the cops ask you what happened, I’d tell them I threatened you, unless you want to go to prison, too. Goodbye, Arthur.” With that, Amelia got in the car and drove off, eager to continue her long-awaited plan.

About 10 minutes into her drive, Amelia picked up Arthur’s phone and called the hospital.

“Hi, I need an ambulance out east on I-80. I don’t have an exact location, but someone’s been injured out there. Thanks.” Once she finished the call, Amelia tossed the phone out the window. She wished she hadn’t needed to shoot Arthur. Hopefully he’d recover alright.

It wouldn’t take long for everyone to discover she escaped. If the prison didn’t notice first, then Arthur would tell when the ambulance found him, which was why she hadn’t told them the exact location. She probably had about 15, maybe 20 minutes before she’d need to ditch the car. It was a good thing Ivan lived close.

She saw an ambulance going in the opposite direction as she got off the freeway. A few more turns and she was on Ivan’s street. She parked a few houses down, making sure she had the gun and handcuffs before stepping out of the car. Nothing could stop her now.

* * *

Amelia took out her bobby pins and began jiggling the lock on the back door. It was a lot harder than it looked on TV, but she’d been practicing. She managed to get it within five minutes. She quietly let herself in and looked around. The house was very clean, which was no surprise. Ivan had always been a clean freak. It was just one area they had clashed in.

She went to the stairs and started climbing. There were pictures along the wall of the family. She saw his two little boys, Ivan junior and Nikolai, six and four respectively, if she remembered correctly. There was the baby girl, Ana, short for Anastasia, along with Ivan and his wife, Julie. When she saw his happy, smiling face, she had to restrain herself from smashing the frame on the ground.

She made it up the stairs and looked around. There was a bathroom and three other rooms. One was obviously a guest bedroom, since it was empty. Another had the door half open. When she tiptoed over and peered inside, she saw the two boys sleeping. Hm. She needed to make sure they didn’t interrupt her. After a bit of searching, she grabbed a spare sheet from the linen closet and shut the children’s door, tying one end of the sheet to their doorknob, and the other to the guest room door. It wasn’t perfect, but it would probably hold up against two little kids.

Once that was finished, she moved on to the last room. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out her gun and made sure it was loaded. She was ready.

Amelia slowly opened the door and squeezed in, making sure to lock the door behind her. She took a moment to take in her surroundings. There was a cradle over to the side, and in the bed, Ivan and his wife slept peacefully. That was about to change. Amelia quietly walked over to the bed and grabbed Ivan’s wife.

The woman cried out, confused and startled, but Amelia quickly silenced her by pressing the gun against her head. Ivan was slow to wake, but when he finally opened his eyes, they went wide, and he immediately sat up.

“Nice of you to join us, Ivan” Amelia said. “Remember me?”

Ivan’s eyes narrowed as he spat, “Amelia.”

“That’s me! I don’t think I’ve been properly introduced to your wife yet. Julie, is it?” Amelia asked.

“I-Ivan?” Julie questioned. “What’s going on?”

Ivan didn’t take his eyes off Amelia as he answered, “She and I have a history.”

Amelia laughed, “That’s what you call it? A history? Do you wanna know what I call it? Murder.”

“What’s she talking about?” Julie asked as she trembled.

“Should I tell her?” Amelia said. “She deserves to know about the monster you are, don’t you think?” Amelia turned for a moment and grinned at Julie. Bad idea.

Ivan took the opportunity to lunge forward and tackle Amelia to the ground. Julie scooted onto the bed and out of the way as the gun slid across the room. Ivan wrapped his hands around Amelia’s neck, but she kneed him in the crotch, a devilish grin lighting up her face as he released her.

Leaving Ivan groaning on the ground, Amelia turned and rushed toward the gun. She never quite made it because Ivan slammed something cold and hard against her back. She collapsed and managed to look back at him, despite the pain. She froze when she saw Ivan breathing heavily as he held a slim metal baseball bat in his hands. Memories, ones she’d tried hard to forget, surfaced. Her bravery disappeared as she was taken back to a time years ago.

Seeing her fear, Ivan smiled cruelly and smashed the bat back down on her again. She wanted to cry out and scream, but she refused to show that weakness. Amelia turned her face toward her gun and felt a fierce anger overtake her. She was going to kill Ivan or die trying.

Amelia inched forward slowly, grunting and pausing each time the baseball bat fell across her body. She was forced to stop about a foot away from the gun, utterly exhausted. She thought she had failed when she heard a voice.

“Ivan!” Julie shouted. It was enough to make Ivan pause with his arms outstretched above him.

“You’re going to kill her!” Julie continued.

Keeping his eyes trained on Amelia, Ivan answered, “She threatened you.”

“And you stopped her,” Julie countered. “This isn’t self-defense anymore.” Ivan contemplated her words for a moment before sighing and letting the weapon fall to the ground.

“Get me some rope so I can tie her up, and we’ll call the police.” Ivan instructed, moving to secure Amelia. When he bent down close enough, Amelia snarled and kicked him in the face. She threw herself forward and managed to get the gun. Turning quickly, she shot Ivan in the leg. He cried out and fell, allowing Amelia the chance to gently prop herself up against the wall, wheezing from the exertion. She allowed herself a minute of rest, ignoring Ivan’s curses and Julie’s cries. She stepped away from the wall and decided she was alright for the time being. She noticed the baby in the crib had woken up and started to cry, but there was time to deal with her later.

“You should’ve finished me off when you had the chance,” Amelia said as she watched Ivan try to stem the blood gushing from his thigh. “You’ve gone soft.”

“Come here, Julie,” Amelia ordered. Julie obeyed, trembling as she left the bed. She stopped a few feet from Amelia, too afraid to come any closer.

Amelia pulled a pair of handcuffs from her pocket and threw them at Julies feet, saying, “Cuff Ivan to the bed.” Julie looked up, eyes wide and unwilling.

“Do it, or I’ll just shoot him right now,” Amelia threatened. “And after that I’ll kill every last person in this house.” Julie looked at Ivan, who nodded stiffly, giving her encouragement. Julie swallowed and picked up the handcuffs. She went to Ivan and gently stretched his arms out behind him, cuffing him securely to the bed.

Turning back to Amelia, she begged, “Please, his leg needs to be bandaged.”

“He should’ve thought about that before he brought a baseball bat to a gun fight. Now get over here.” Amelia said coldly.

Before Julie could move, Ivan growled, “Leave my family alone.”

Amelia laughed and replied, “You’re not exactly in a position to make demands.” Without bothering to wait any further, Amelia moved forward and grabbed Julie, dragging her back a few steps. One hand kept a firm hold in her hair, while the other once again brought the gun up to her temple.

“I’m sorry this had to happen to you,” Amelia told Julie. “I don’t really have anything against you, but Ivan needs to learn his lesson.” Julie was silently crying, looking straight at Ivan, who was growing increasingly pale.

“I know Ivan had issues before he started his medicine, but surely he hasn’t done anything so terrible that you need to resort to this,” Julie pleaded.

Amelia leaned forward and said, “Allow me to enlighten you,” before proceeding to whisper in Julie’s ear.

“What are you saying?” Ivan demanded. Amelia ignored the question until she was done with her whispering.

“I was just telling her the truth,” Amelia revealed as Julie took on a horrified look.

“Tell me she’s lying, Ivan,” Julie said. “Tell me you didn’t do those awful things.”

Ivan looked pained as he replied, “Listen, Julie, Lapushka—”

Ivan never got to finish his explanation because Amelia chose that moment to pull the trigger.

“Oops,” Amelia said, grinning as she let Julie’s body fall to the ground. No one told her killing someone would be so messy. She could feel blood splattered across her face, warm and thick as it rolled down her neck. Amelia fully expected to hear threats and curses, but what she saw was completely unexpected.

Ivan was crying.

* * *

Amelia quickly got over her shock at seeing Ivan cry and admitted, “Watching you cry is bringing me more joy than I’ve felt in years.” She stepped over the dead body at her feet and kneeled down near Ivan. “You loved her, didn’t you? Good.”

Ivan bared his teeth at her and said, “Don’t you dare talk about her.”

Amelia scoffed and replied, “What happened to you? You’re so weak now.”

“I got help,” Ivan snarled. “Something you obviously need.”

“It’s too late for that. I don’t want help. You can keep your silly medicine and therapy, or whatever it is that you do in order to hide your inner monster, but just remember,” Amelia said, standing back up. “Everything that happens tonight is your fault.”

Jerking at his bound hands, Ivan demanded, “What do you want me to say? That I’m sorry?” He grinned and finished, “Because I’m not. Toris was a weak little shit. It’s not my fault he—” Ivan was cut off midsentence by a bullet tearing into his shoulder. He cried out but could do nothing else since his hands were bound.

“Do not say his name!” Amelia shouted wildly.

“I was doing you a favor,” Ivan grunted out through clenched teeth, refusing to back down.

“I didn’t want any of your favors!” Amelia exclaimed. “I wanted a family!”

Ivan gave a pained smile and said, “And I offered to give you one. You should’ve taken the chance because now you’ll never know the joys of having children.”

Amelia’s face was determined as she said, “You may have gotten to experience having children, but you’re about to find out what it’s like to lose one of them.”

The smile on Ivan’s face dropped immediately and he ordered, “Stay away from them.”

“Don’t worry,” Amelia assured him. “I only need one.” She walked over to the crib in the corner of the room and looked down at the restless baby inside. She carefully picked the girl up and cradled her, turning back to Ivan.

Ivan leaned forward as much as he could, face contorted in pain and said, “Put her down or I’ll rip you apart. She did nothing to you.”

“Ha! Like that ever stopped you,” Amelia laughed. She cooed at the baby, who giggled and smiled up at her.

Continuing with his threats, Ivan growled, “Don’t you dare hurt her, you fucking bitch.” The child started to cry softly.

“Now, now,” Amelia chastened, “don’t use such nasty language around the baby. You’re making her cry.” Holding the girl in one arm, Amelia pulled her gun back out.

“No, please,” Ivan resorted to begging at the sight of the weapon, his face paler that usual, although that could have been from the blood loss. It was strange hearing him plead, and it caught Amelia off guard. “Please, not my only daughter, not my baby. I’ll do anything.”

Amelia shook her head and said, “You still don’t understand, do you? The only thing I’m after tonight is revenge, so that I can finally be at peace and die.”

“Kill me instead,” Ivan tried again desperately.

“All in due time,” Amelia answered. Without giving herself the time to change her mind, she shot the child through the head. It was eerily silent for a moment afterwards. She tore her gaze away from the hole in the baby’s forehead to look over at Ivan. She couldn’t help but notice that some of the blood had splattered across his face. They made brief eye contact, both looking stunned at what Amelia had just done, before the silence was shattered. Amelia turned stiffly and shakily put the baby back into the crib, trying to ignore Ivan’s anguished cries. She thought she was prepared for this, but she wasn’t a cold-blooded killer at heart. She was starting to feel a bit sick to her stomach and just wanted to quickly finish the job before she chickened out.

Turning back to Ivan for the last time, Amelia was shocked at how pitiful he looked. She had never seen him cry so hard. The way he had crumpled was as if part of his heart had been carved out. For once, he appeared devoid of all anger and power. His head was bowed, and he shook, but she couldn’t be quite sure what was causing it. He had lost quite a bit of blood by now and was probably in shock. There was a chance she’d back down if she waited too much longer, so she steeled herself and pointed the gun at him.

“Do you have any last words?” Amelia asked as she cocked the gun, ready for this night to be over.

Ivan turned his tear-stained and bloodied face towards Amelia and asked desperately, “My sons. Are you going to kill them too?”

“No,” Amelia informed him. “I told you, I came here for three lives, and that’s it.”

“Good,” Ivan sighed, looking as relieved as could be expected in the current situation. “In that case, get this over with. I’m not afraid to die.” Ivan said, sounding exhausted.

Amelia nodded and whispered, “I’ll see you in Hell.” Despite the silencer, the shot rang loudly in her ears.

* * *

By now there were police cars pulling up outside the house. Apparently, the neighbors finally heard the screaming. Amelia could hear the front door being kicked down. She calmly sat down on the bed and raised the gun to her own head. She had wanted to die for the past 10 years, and now that she got her revenge, she was ready.

It was weird, though. She thought she’d feel happy afterwards, but as she looked down at the bodies at her feet, she wasn’t happy. Just… empty. She squeezed the gun tighter but couldn’t pull the trigger. Like Ivan, she wasn’t afraid to die, but she couldn’t bring herself to be the one to do it.

She heard footsteps pounding up the stairs, and she stood and pointed the gun at the door right before the police broke it down and poured in.

“Drop the weapon!” One of the officers yelled. Amelia half laughed, half sobbed, but didn’t listen. Instead, she took slow steps forward.

“Stay where you are and drop your gun!” the officer ordered again. When Amelia didn’t do as she was told, shots rang out, and she collapsed.

She saw one of the men retrieve her gun while another said into his radio, “Shooter is down. We have two dead up here.”

“Three,” Amelia croaked out, pointing toward the crib. “Two boys in another room… safe.” She didn’t understand why, but for some reason she felt it was imperative that they know she hadn’t killed the whole family. She’d only taken the lives she’d been robbed of. She wasn’t like Ivan. She didn’t kill for no reason.

One of the officers was sent to check on the two boys. Amelia could feel her life slipping away. The officer who shot her bent down and applied pressure on the worst wound, which happened to be in the center of her stomach. How ironic.

“Don’t bother,” Amelia said. “I’ll be dead before you get me out of the house.” The officer looked up at her face for a brief moment but didn’t say anything. He was obviously disgusted by her actions and most likely hoped she was right.

It didn’t take long at all for the medics to show up with stretchers. She could see their horrified faces as they took in the scene around them, especially the crib. Nevertheless, they did their job and moved her onto the stretcher. On the way down the stairs, they cut her shirt off to get a better look at her wounds. Despite her fading vision, she caught sight of the scar her C-section had left and felt regret for everything her life could’ve been. It wasn’t fair. None of it was. Not what had happened to her and Toris, nor what had happened to Ivan and his family. But life wasn’t fair. Terrible things happened to good people for no reason. And it would continue to be that way long after she was gone. That was life, and she couldn’t help but be glad her role in it was soon to be over.

Sure enough, Amelia was dead once they got to the bottom of the stairs.


End file.
